Cardiff City 2 Middlesbrough 3

Dec 18 2011 Sunday Sun

BORO blew the promotion race open as they clawed from behind to beat red-hot rivals Cardiff in a storming away-day display.

The Welsh side were unbeaten in 11 games and had won six in a row at home and kicked off ahead of Boro on goal difference.

And when they pegged back an early Boro opener from new boy Bart Ogbeche to punish some shaky defending and lead 2-1 at the break, it looked like they were going to add to those sequences.

But the Teessiders came out fighting in the second half and some crisp passing carved open spaces in the Cardiff defence.

Boro levelled with a superbly engineered second goal for Scott McDonald – his fifth in seven games – then took control as Faris Haroun chested down to stab home a third.

Boro had to dig deep in a torrid finale that was extended into 10 nervous minutes of stoppage time but they held on to claim a massive victory that swung the Championship table their way.

Boro’s first attack came in the third minute as Nicky Bailey found Haroun, who quickly sent Justin Hoyte down the right to cross in but the keeper collected before McDonald could pounce.

Then Matthew Bates sent Hoyte down the right and this time his cross found Ogbeche but his weak onward header under pressure was weak.

Cardiff’s first chance came on five minutes as Miller burst into the box and twisted between Rhys Williams and Joe Bennett but went too wide then cut the ball back for Kevin McNaughton to drill wide.

Boro pressed again on nine minutes as Haroun crossed from the right for Ogbeche to send a diving header wide and the Nigerian picked up a knock for his troubles after a clash of heads with Mark Hudson.

Cardiff players and fans were screaming for a penalty on 13 minutes as McNaughton chased a long ball into the right side of the box and Jason Steele came charging off his line to collect and sent the full-back sprawling but the referee waved to play on.

Cardiff’s sense of injustice was deepened on 15 minutes as Boro took the lead.

After a quick break through the middle Barry Robson pushed a ball into the path of Bart Ogbeche, who took a touch then sent in a curling 22-yard effort that clipped defender Hudson and flew inside the far post.

Cardiff threatened on 22 as Craig Conway wriggled down the left and played a teasing ball across the face of the goal and Bennett was forced to put it behind for a corner before Kenny Miller could connect.

From Peter Whittingham’s in- swinging corner under-pressure Steele was forced to punch over.

Then Cardiff levelled on 23 minutes from a second corner, Miller flicking on Whittingham’s delivery for defender Ben Turner to head home unchallenged at the far post.

Cardiff almost had a second on 27 minutes when they won a free-kick wide on the right and Whittingham whipped it, dipping to the far post. Steele first fumbled it then recovered to punch clear before Miller could pounce.

Boro had a shout for a penalty on the half-hour as Andrew Taylor brought down McDonald from behind then, as the ball rolled loose, Williams slammed a shot that was charged down in the box.

Then on 33 minutes from a Robson corner a powerful header from Haroun sent keeper David Marshall full-length to save . . . but the whistle had already gone for a foul in the crowd.

Down at the other end Cardiff went close again on 35 minutes as another weak punch from Steele sparked a scramble and Don Cowie chipped wide of the far post from 20 yards out on the left.